MAINTAINING A HEALTHY WEIGHT

MAINTAINING A HEALTHY WEIGHT

 

Being overweight increases your risk of developing high blood pressure.  Blood pressure rises as body weight increases.  Being overweight or obese are also risk factors for heart disease.  The two key measures used to determine if someone is overweight are the body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference.  Overweight is defined as a BMI of 25 to 29.9; obesity is defined as a BMI equal to or more than 30.  A waist measurement of more than 35 inches in women and more than 40 inches in men is considered high.

 

BMI Categories:

•          Underweight = <18.5

•          Normal weight = 18.5-24.9

•          Overweight = 25-29.9

•          Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

 

REFERENCES

1.          http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp/bp/bp.htm